Actress Constance Zimmer is no stranger to television viewers, having recently earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bissette.”
In addition, she’a also starred in such TV hits as “UnREAL,” “The Lincoln Lawyer,” “Entourage,” “House of Cards” and “Boston Legal.”
On Sunday, October 4, Zimmer took to Instagram with a post marking October’s role as Breast Cancer Awareness Month — and revealed for the first time that she herself was a breast cancer survivor.
A Devastating Diagnosis
“October is #breastcancerawarenessmonth and I never thought I’d be honoring it with my own story,” she wrote in her lengthy Instagram post.
“On March 13th when I was away from home– I heard these words from my doctor over zoom: ‘You have DCIS, also refereed to as Stage 0 breast cancer.’ The silence was deafening,” she continued as she recalled that life-changing day.
“Here I was surrounded by women sharing their secrets about their Midlife truths – and I was holding onto the biggest secret I’d ever held,” she wrote.
“First, I had to call my husband and get home to tell our daughter in person,” Zimmer added.
“The mental toll that followed was overwhelming on certain days as I began talking to many more doctors then I would’ve liked. Feeling like my options were limited and most suggested what was the quickest way to get this mass out ASAP, which was a mastectomy,” she explained.
However, she admitted that she had reservations.
“What if that’s not what I want? What if I want to save my boob instead?” she added.
‘One Hell of a Ride’
“Thankfully, after talking with @drkristifunk, she said: ‘I think we can try a lumpectomy, I feel confident I can get it out.’ “She was the first doctor to make me feel like what I wanted mattered and that made me weep with joy,” Zimmer wrote.
As Zimmer revealed, she underwent surgery — three different times.
“It did take 3 surgeries – 3 weeks in a row, but she did it, she saved my breast and it looks good too!” the post continued.
At the time, Zimmer was in the midst of the promotional push for “Love Story,” which forced her to put on a brave face in public while pretending she wasn’t secretly terrified.
“During all of this I was out on a very public press tour for ‘Love Story,’ while keeping my diagnosis and treatment private. I then followed my surgeries with radiation, while celebrating my Emmy Nomination,” she wrote.
“So, me and @welcometoheidi decided to have my breast surgeon on our podcast @talkfiftytome because I know talking about it can remind women to please not wait until you have symptoms to get yourself checked in all ways possible. You can listen on 10/6 to the whole story,” she added before sharing some exceptionally good news.
“I’m grateful to be CANCER FREE and thankful to @catherinewhite or capturing me for the first time since my diagnosis, celebrating what my body got me through over the last 7 months: pure shock and fear alongside pure joy and gratitude,” she wrote before concluding, “From hospital gowns to Emmy glamour this was one hell of a ride.”
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‘Love Story’ Star Constance Zimmer Reveals Secret Breast Cancer Battle